For the second time in three years, the Waterloo Police Department’s K9 Unit took top honors as a team, at the United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) Region 21 Narcotics Trials.

USPCA’s Region 21 consists of the entire State of Iowa, as well as some K9 teams from other Midwestern states. In 2012, the Waterloo Police Department’s K9 Unit was again ranked the top team at the trials. This was also the case during the trials in 2010, when the K9 Unit took first place at the trials that were held in Algona, IA.

The K9 Unit spent April 9th-11th in Clinton, IA conducting this narcotics certification. This certification is court credible, and encompasses searching for narcotics in vehicles and in rooms. Each handler and K9 conducts the certification on their own, and then there is also a category for the four-person team as a whole. This is a great feat to be recognized as the top K9 Unit in the region again this year.

The Waterloo Police Department’s K9 Unit is unique in nature, as it is not funded with tax dollars. The K9 Unit is funded with donations from within the community, and without them, the K9 Unit’s existence would not be possible.